The best headphones under $100
Apple – with their iPod devices and iTunes Music Store – has made music very portable. That’s just about the only compliment I can muster.
Without going into long rants – you have to admit that they have revolutionized the entire music industry – from top to bottom – with their theory that file size is more important than the way music sounds. Many people think that’s a good thing.
I don’t. I think they’ve set music reproduction back decades. Beginning in the 1950’s, the goal was to improve the personal music experience outside of concert halls. The idea was to faithfully capture and reproduce performances.
Apple (and other early portable player pioneers) made sure that the switch to digital music meant that you could “dumb down” the music into tiny files – and then fit thousands of those files on one of their devices. Didn’t (and doesn’t) matter what those files sound like – just that you can fit ever-increasing numbers of them in smaller and smaller spaces.
As for the hardware, Apple has always included a pair of horrible-sounding earplugs with their portable music players. I call them plugs because they do more to block musical sounds than reproduce them properly.
For people who buy iPods and think those earplugs must be good because Apple includes them – I’m here to tell you that they don’t. They sound like crap.
Luckily you can do something about it. There are an ever-increasing number of models of earphones (in-ear designs) and headphones (next to or on top of your ear) that sound amazingly good. So good that you will probably be forced to “rip” you own digital tunes at higher-bit rates because you’ll hear just how crappy 128K downloaded files really sound.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been gathering more than a dozen new designs for a single holiday buying-guide piece. I’ve narrowed down my choices to 6 or so designs that are worth your time to listen to. I’ve split them into two groups. This report will be my favorites that sell for less than $100. Part two will include the best of the new models that sell for more than $100.
Sennheiser PX 100-II. In the early days of hi-fi headphones were large, heavy and actually sounded that way. They were nicknamed “cans for a good reason. Back then I remember trying a number of different models and disliked them all.
But near the end of the 60’s a German company known for their professional microphones, Sennheiser, released their model HD 400 “open” headphones. These very lightweight, gray headphones had bright yellow foam earpads that sat directly on the outside of your ears. They were comfortable, cheap and sounded as good as – or better – than most other headphones of the day. Sennheiser must have sold a gazillion of them.
Fast forward a few decades to modern times. Sennheiser makes all types and styles of headphones and earphones but – true to their past – they still make an inexpensive “open” model that’s pretty terrific.
The PX 100 II folds to fit neatly in a nice, black fabric carrying pouch (included) and sounds pretty terrific.
If I had to classify the sound I’d say airy with super-duper bass – just about perfect for listening to modern-day digital files. On better quality source material the PX 100 IIs you’re more aware of the tremendously boosted bass – but since Sennheiser engineers are great at what they do – the sound is still very, very enjoyable.
A pair of PX 100 IIs come in black or white and will set you back $70 or so from local, national and online retailers.
Sennheiser PX 200 II. Next in line, the 200 II is a “closed” headphone design. That means it’s made to keep most of the sound “inside”.
The 200 IIs has very comfortable leatherette ear pads which the company boast “provide excellent isolation”. I wouldn’t go that far. They do block some ambient sound but during a trial run on a cross-country flight I wished I had a pair of either in-ear or noise-cancelling “phones”.
Overall, the 200 IIs sound a bit more refined than the 100 IIs – exactly what you would expect from the difference in model numbers and price. The biggest difference is that the bass is NOT boosted in the 200 IIs fo that the sound quality is flatter and seeming has more extended treble reproduction.
When not flying, the PX 200 IIs were extremely comfortable to use and sounded absolutely terrific – rivaling many modern headphone designs costing 3 or 4 times the price.
The PX 200 IIs come in black or white and include a fabric carrying case and can be had for $90 or less from local, national and online retailers.
NuForce UF-30. NuForce, the California company that makes some terrific sounding, expensive hi-fi amplifiers and equipment is now also making a line on modestly priced, portable amplifiers, speakers and headphones. The UF-30s are their top-of-the-line model made in collaboration with German company, Ultrasone.
Ultrasone developed what they call their S-logic Natural Sound technology which is said to allow headphones to reproduce music more like we hear music without headphones (so that voices don’t sound like they come from the middle of your brain). NuForce decided to tweak Ultrasone’s invention for their UF-30s.
The result is a very stylish (red, pearl or black), lightweight headphone which sounds very, very good. They are very comfortable to wear for long periods of listening.
Personally, I don’t hear much difference between what S-logic does compared to other, similarly-priced headsets – but the overall effect doesn’t take anything away from the sounds quality.
High-end treble sounds (like cymbals) are not as smooth as other designs in the UF-30’s price range, but you are not likely to notice if you primarily listen to compromised digital files.
UF-30s come with a wonderful, “hard-shell” protective carry case and sell for $70. They are available on the NuForce Website and other online retailers.